The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-01-07
A MURDERER coNFEssEs.
Horrible Details of Young NowIan's
Crime.

BOSTON, Jan. 6-In conversation with
Captain Perry, of Somerville last night
Nowlan, who was arrested on suspicion OF
being the murderer of George Goldman the
milkman, he implicated Neville and Swee-
ney,'who were arrested in Charleston and
brought to the station about midnight. On
investigation the police became satisfied that
there wasno truth to what he had said about
the two men.
Chief Parkhurst land captain Perry this
forenoon had another talk with the boy pris-
oner They showed him the proof of the
falsity of his last story. Finally the chief
produced the bloody axe, and asked the lad
if he knew to whom it belonged.
'.'Yes, that is Codman's axe" was the hesi-
tating reply.
"Come up here to the light and see the
blood ON ii" said the chief sharply.
For the first time the boy showed signs of
weakness and terror. He trembled violent
ly from head to foot and hung back. Pres
emily he broke down and for the first time
evidently told the whole truth.
81 did it alone" he said brokenly, "but
didn't kill him with an aXe-it was with a
knife. Gradually and point by point he
made known the details of his horrible
butchery. He had had the plot and crime in
mind for some days. Codman's inclination
to boast of his profitable business furnished
the tmotive. On Monday Goldman spoke of
lect from his customers that day.
81 suppose you'll collect about $1,000, won't
your" observed Nowlan.
mo-. l guess not more than $780," was
the reply.
Nowlan expected to secure the latter sum
as the product of his crime, and he was
much disappointed that the proceeds sshould
be less than half that sum. He went to the
stable and met Goldman soon after O'Clock
Tuesday morning. He had fully made up
his mind to kill ihim then and there. He
armed himself with a large carving knife
having sharp point and an unusually keen
edge. Securing favorable opportunity in
the dim light made by single lantern, he
stepped up behind his victim, reached over
his shoulder, and with downward, sidewise
blow plunged the knife into his neck lust
below the jaw bone. The stroke was fatal
one; A large artery was severed by the sim
gle blow and blood poured from the wound
In gushing stream. Goldman made no out
cry, no struggle. He simply staggered for
moment and fell heavily to the floor. The
ments, and did not again touch the dying
man until, life was gone. When his victim
was dead he pushed the body beneath a
pung, covered it with blanket, and spent
nearly two hours in vigorous efforts to clean
up all traces of the fearful homorrhage.
About O'Clock the young murderer went
home, awoke younger brother and took
him with him over the regular milk route.
distributing the cans as usual to all of Cod
mans customers in Charleston and Boston.
Everybody that has been seen whom Now
Ian met that morning say that the boy SEEM
ed the same as usual, not at all anxious or
nervous. He and his brother reached home
again about IL o'clock. Edward ate his din
ner and went back to the stable about noon
he says that he then dragged the body from
Its place OF concealment, and, after locking
the door, he proceeded to cut off the dead
mans clothes. He first stripped the pockets
of everything of value. 1t was his plan to
carry the body off in the pung to great dis
tance and to conceal it in some Lonesome
hiding place. He found it too heavy for
him to handle, and then it was too large to
carry IN the back part of the pung without
its shape being, visible. He found sharp
axe and began his work of dissection.
First he chopped off the left leg close to
the body and then the right arm. He thought
with these members gone he could handle
what was left and he placed it in the back
part OF the pung and covered it with rub
Der horse blanket. He put the axe also in
the team, and before starting he again clean
ed the CHASTITY traces of his rough work of
dissection.
For some reason the boy determined to
tedlthe bloody chine, and to take it with
him on his journey to dispose of the body.
lie accordingly went to Codman's boarding
mouse and secured the desk and money as
has been described. Then shortly after l
O'Clock he started off up country. Not until
he had gone several miles on lonesome
road toward Arlington did full realization
OF his crime and the horror of his situation
draw upon the boy He became panic
stricken. To use his own words;
Il thought everybody stared at me and
suspected me. | was afraid every minute
that some one was after me-"
He lashed his horse, and the animal ran
until he was covered with lather. He drove
through Arlington, around Lexington to
East Lexington to point about fifteen miles
any portion of his CHASTITY burden. First he
threw off the clothes without stopping over
the wall by the road. Half a mile farther he
stopped, and lifted the body out into the
middle of the road. Thinking to make iden-
tlhcation impossible, he there chopped off
the head and mutilated the features. The
head and one arm he threw over the wall
and drove on. In the middle of the road was
left large pool of blood made by chopping
OIL the head. A mile and half further, he
lifted the body over the wall into gully and
attempted to throw the blanket over it,
James Edward Nowlan is handsome
young fellow of a little over II years of age.
de has dark hair, and ruddy face
brown eyes, shaded by heavy eyebrows, and
IN his whole appearance is remarkably pre-
and Intelligent looking. He is
one of family Of four brothers, one older
and two younger, who live with their mother
On Autumn Avenue, in East Somerville.
While nothing really bad is known of the
boys, they have the reputation of being hot
1looded and little wild, and this reputation
Edward, as they call him, has shared with
them. He was discharged by the man for
whom he worked previously to being en-
plloyed by Goldman, because of a too free use
Df his employers horses in the evening, he
being the only person who could take them
9ut and drive them as they had been driven.
The father of the family, it is stated, hung
himself in penitentiary in the provinces.
MS departure from SomerVille a few years
ago being hastened by his acts there, which
we're somewhat questionable in character.
AS gentleman who knows the family said:
1T is in the blood and is sure to come out
Nowlan's mother called at the police sta
ton this morning. but was not allowed to
see her son. She was not told of his confess
sion, and will employ counsel for him.